Shooter?....Yes/No

[_X7]

 

The bucks are on their feet. Just before these deer showed up I had a very nice chocolate racked 8 pt at 20 yards. My bow wasn't even up in the tree yet. Rather than possibly spook him i could only watch as he made his way down the hill.

 

The big guy in the video was dogging a doe and would not respond to my calling. Of course the little guys do..

 

I'll have a decision to make if either buck shows up the next time in that stand. They both have potential although the brows on this one are a bit short...

 

[Rusty]

That's a nice deer.  If it gets your heart pumping then take it. 

[Axiom]

yes..

[robnj]

great video. He looks like a nice buck. would love to take one that big.

[BowhunterNJ]

Wow, great video! I'm with Rusty, if he gets your heart pumping and makes for a memorable hunt, I say take em!

[Bucksnbows]

Great video.  I always love the way the young scrappies come in for some calls.  

[_X7]

Thanks guys. I am fortunate to see this deer. Hopefully he'll make a mistake.

[BHC]

Mike, great video and action thanks for sharing......If given the chance take that rack buck !!!!  Good Luck !!!

[Cousin Brown]

Good buck there mike! Nice video !

[_X7]

Thanks Joe and Rich! Now my days are filled with the vision of him walking past my stand...so are my nights,  .

[Matty]

If I may make a few suggestions regarding calling.

 

This is one thing that I am 210% confident in, calling. And I see some things you could have done differently in this situation that likely would have helped things go in your favor.

 

-First, yes I would shoot that deer this year. Been a few years of tag soup and passing good deer, so I think the first decent buck is going down...and that guy is better than decent.

So he can ride in my truck! lol

 

- Second, he's already with a doe that is obviously nearing estrous. So he's going to be very difficult to pull away. Everyone knows that and they get discouraged right off the bat. Wrong. He can be called over.

 

- I'm guessing the wind is in your face, so when you do estrous bleats, these deer are just going to wait for you to scent them and come over, "single deer" are expected to join the party, not the other way around. He's certainly not going to leave her tail for another doe. And she's not likely to leave for another doe either. Only the little guys looking for love will respond to what you did. Trust me, years of facing this situation and doing what you did have taught me that it will never work. You should also ditch that can call (which is what it sounded like) or better yet, blow through it. They can sound great when you blow through the bottom hole. Estrous calls sound much more pleading and urgent than what you did. I've only heard real ones on about 3 or 4 occasions, but they are very constant, very urgent and will go on and on until a buck shows up. A call that in my opinion is too obtrusive to use when deer are actually around. I only use it for blind calling. Same with tending grunts. Once deer are around, don't bother. These are sounds that every hunter in the woods makes and sounds that don't really work unless blind calling. Plus, theres no way to recreate the sounds of chasing through all those leaves, which throws up red flags to older animals.

 

 

- However, when that buck was chasing off the little buck, and he's getting bugged like that and distracted, it's a great time to let out one long deep loud grunt and a snort wheeze. Or just the snort wheeze. Usually that's enough that he has to at least come see who this intruder is...and since you can probably "smell him" (if you were really a deer)....you should know he's pretty dominant, and now he's pissed that you aren't respecting his authority.

 

Often times the doe will actually come over too. Sometimes shes the first over. In fact, estrous does react very positively to aggressive buck sounds, like fighting, snort wheezes, etc. I often have does respond to my rattling. Which is good, any deer near you is now a live decoy and scent wick. Keep them around as much as possible and now you have the deer party in town.

 

If the snort wheeze gets their attention but doesnt get them to commit. Try one more snort wheeze followed by some very light grunts with your mouth. Not the calls....manufactured calls don't produce good soft social contact grunts. You're trying to be discreet now, so just a few soft mouth grunts, like you're trying to lure his doe away. That'll usually do the trick.  If that doesn't work, let them leave before you try calling again. Unless it's far enough (like 100 yards and thick enough)....then try rattling.

 

If it's not thick enough and not far enough, let them get well away from you and out of sight before you try rattling. 

 

I don't mean to come across as a "know it all" telling you how to do things, it's just that calling is something I have really focused on over the years and something I've fine-tuned to be extremely effective. Its really become rare for me now to not be able to draw an animal in. So far this season, I've called in deer every single time I called. Do I kill them all, hell no. LOL I usually manage to mess something up, but 80% of the time, they come right to the tree and present a shot. 

 

No doubt bucks with estrous does are the most difficult to call in, but you can make it happen. I have so much more to share regarding calling, but I think this is already too much to read so....Hope it helps. Good luck Mike! -Matt

[_X7]

I could have been more aggressive, no doubt, Matty. I snort wheezed at this buck when I first saw the deer coming. They locked up and stood there looking. Just after i turned on the camera the doe turned with the buck following. I really didn't see the aggression toward the little spike. The camera was rolling, but i was distracted by other deer coming down the hill in the thicket behind me. They were above me and in past experience in this stand they could easily have pinpointed me ending the show.. Its a gun stand that is actually too high for bow hunting in the flat, but too low from the hillside. Too many eyes and ears so I decided to just let it play out. I lost track of the big buck until he reappeared down the hill while the other group filtered into that same stand of trees.

[Matty]

Gotcha Mike. Nothing is surefire, not even the snort-wheeze. lol

 

I must have jinxed myself too. I got out for an afternoon sit just before the rain stopped. On the way in, I stalked up on a doe, but just when I was getting ready to shoot, it bedded down facing me. Not wanting to waste more time I just started walking and scared the crap out of her.

 

Only deer I saw tonight. Did see a beautiful fox come by me a few times. Really pretty. Didn't have my video camera tonight because of the rain though.

 

Tried a calling sequence, but not a darn deer. Not even any while walking out. First time I sat this spot this year. Probably won't be there tomorrow, I know that. lol

[_X7]

Like I said, i am not comfortable doing a whole lot with a lot of eyes around. I'd rather try another day. I went out myself this afternoon. I didn't see anything but squirrels. One thing that bothered me a bit was the smell of death.riding on the west wind from the thicket where the chocolate rack came from the other day. I didn't have time to go investigate, but will make it a point tomorrow. There is a trespasser problem from that direction. No one I talked to lost any deer over there.

[Gruntmaster]

Great insights and stories gentlemen.

I could read this stuff all night.

Excellent Footage on top of that Mike.

Thanks for sharing.